WVU v. Texas Tech: Headbantage, Rebels

You are looking live inside United Spirit Arena, where WVU will tango with Texas Tech in just a little bit and where the Red Raiders will enjoy a home court advantage and a sizable edge in headbands. That’s Deaflympics bronze medalist Luke Adams at the foul line and Shooter! Dusty Hannahs at the 3-point line. Seriously, Hannahs is the maybe the only guy who is much of a threat from the arch.

The Mountaineers have an esteemed fraternity of headbandits: Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Dan Jennings, Devin Ebanks … I could go on to D’or Fischer, Chaz Briggs, Drew Schifino … but they haven’t had a member these past two seasons. And these past two seasons have been unkind. I sincerely doubt this is a coincidence.

The Red Raiders will need all the power of the headbands absent a student a section and whatever energy was expended and lost as they rallied from down 15 points in the second half Saturday and lost 73-62 here against Iowa State.

Then again, perhaps WVU has lost some GQ mojo. Eron Harris has ditched the neon green socks.

That shot did not go in, by the way.

And since you can’t wait for the update, no, there is no sign of Jonathan Holton, nor was there any sort of news delivered from the NCAA to the Mountaineers today. I’m going to create a hashtag for this saga.

Example: WVU could use some help inside against a Texas Tech team that pounds it down low and pushes for paint touches. #NoHolton

Or …

The Mountaineers pass the eyeball test standing next to these Red Raiders. #NoHolton

Seriously, WVU has to play big inside. Texas Tech has scored 543 of its 1,029 points in the paint this season. That’s 38.8 points per game, and that would be a school record. The Red Raiders don’t shoot or make 3-pointers — they get 18.3 percent of their points from outside, the 10th lowest percentage among power conference teams — because they shoot 53.3 percent from 2-point range and get 61.4 percent of their scoring there — the fifth highest total in the country.

Forwards Jaye Crockett (14.1 points per game) and Jordan Tolbert (12.5) are both 6-foot-7 and are both shooting 60 percent from the floor. Seven-footer Dejan Kravic can be a handful now that he’s healthy. He’s been fit the past five games and averaged 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds, and the guy whose tip-in knocked WVU out of the Big 12 Tournament last season has shot 19-for-38 along the way.

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Hickman’s view on the Staten T was that he complained to the ref for not getting a foul call as well as the made shot. After the T, Hugs apparently said something like, “Maybe if you’d call a foul once in a while.”

The Staten T made such little sense that I had to think it was for something that happened earlier. He made his shot and the guy on him went to the floor and Staten look at him and said something . . . but he looked at him for less than a second-and-a-half and couldn’t have said more than two words. And he SAID something… he didn’t shout it or taunt or anything. Just didn’t really look like anything to me (compared to what we’re all used to seeing). Of course, we can all think of two words that probably would get you a T no matter how you said them.

Big difference between flying home from Lubbock as victors and flying back after losing to Lief Garrett et al.

Important win, imo.

I am not going to start a fan club for obvious reasons but I’m going on record as a Watkins guy. His bi polar play reminds me of myself but he’s young and he’s getting better every day. Boy got some dog in him.

With you on Watkins, Rugger. He reminds me, as a freshman, what Dominique Rutledge took a year and a half to become for us, a solid situational guy. That Watkins has 3.5 years left, he can obviously become far, far more than ‘Nique was able to be for us.

Have to be guarded about the positivity taken away from that victory, but it can’t be understated how awful the loss would have been for morale, momentum, etc. TCU and Tech are both better than last year, which is saying little, of course, but 2 road league wins back to back to start conference play is nothing to sneeze at in any league, against any two opponents.

Mack, agreed. Watkins has impressed me with his passing and finishing around the basket. To be honest, he and Adrian have provided far more than I expected from either in their freshman years. I remember faint whispers last year, from people who wouldn’t really have been knowledgeable on the subject, about either of the two taking a red shirt this year because they might not be ready to contribute meaningfully. Both have.

if williams keeps improving on foul shooting, he too will be a force. the new rules help him. he draws contat and can get other bigs in foul trouble. but he’s got to claim his charity at the line.

i too like watkins – he has some hops and I just picture what the S&C guys will have him become. lengthy defender who can enforce by shot alteration but not the body weight at this point to bang. and really a nice if not overwhelming O game.

Adrian too – that was clutch the steal – he’s a heady ball player. I now want him to think less on the O end. (he needs a little of Henderson in him) after bricking his first two or three, he attempted nothing. in the second half with TT closing he passed up open threes – you could sense he didn’t feel comfortable shooting. Surprisingly – Adrian holding off Dibo but losing minutes to Watkins.

Henderson – times you go “no no no . . . yes!” – the one on three drive, the pull up fast break jumper with no one near the basket

staten – getting so much better – picking the right moments to take the ball to the basket (ala no bigs in the paint). in that, he has graduated from Truck Bryant school of out-of-control dirves. just enough jump shot to keep defenders honest. again going where Truck has never gone before. My only wish is that he would learn to penetrate and dish to the wing. i’ve not see it and it would be unstoppable with Harris or Henderson or Adrian (and dibo some day?) stepping into their threes – something they are rarely doing now.

for once this team has some upside. learning as it grows up. Now learn how to close out a team with solid D and opportune shots.